Ayodhya disputed land to be divided into 3 parts-each for the Ram Janmabhoomi, Babri Masjid Comm

Dr. Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

30 September 2010: 5.30pm:  Indian nation had been waiting with great expectation for the long awaited Court Verdict on the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title case to be delivered by the Lucknow Special Bench of the Allahabad High Court at 3.30 pm on Thursday, 30th September 2010.  However, the judgment was delayed and was pronounced at around 4.15 pm. There were 28 legal issues including historical ones over which the court had to decide. The most important operative part of the judgment is that the disputed land at Ayodhya is to be divided into three parts between the Hindus, Nirmohi Akhara and the Babri Masjid Committee.

 

The three judges who presided over the litigation were Justice  D V Sharma,  S U Khan and  S Agarwal. No one else except the parties related to the title suit were allowed to enter Court No.21 where the judgment was delivered.  1,000 security personnel  cordoned off the court premises. Roads around the court were sealed. No exit was allowed till the judgment was delivered. No media was allowed to enter the court premises.

 

Thorough arrangements had been made for the dissemination of the information. Special media centre was set up in the Collectorate Office, nearly 200 meters away to see to it that the verdict was not leaked before it was officially pronounced in the court. Soon after the delivery of the judgment, copies of the judgment were made available to the media in order to avoid rumours. The media personnel were handed over three separate copies of synoptic judgment from each of the three judges. However, neither analysis nor interpretation of the judgment was given to the media. The full judgment was made available on the official website of the Allahabad High Court: www.allahabadhighcourt.in and www.rjbm.nic.in.

 

 

Around 100 media organizations  with more than 300 journalists were present at the media centre in the premises of the Collectorate few meters away from the court. Soon after the pronouncement of the verdict within the court, the district officials along with the Court Registrar, the parties to the litigation and their lawyers arrived at the media centre at around 4.30 pm.

 

As the lawyers and litigants approached  the media centre there was heavy rush of the media persons to get their  first reaction. The lawyers then briefed the media people. It is said that two  of the judges have given the verdict in favour of dividing the disputed land into three parts-one each for the Hindus, Babri Masjid Committee and Nirmohi Akhara.  Further, it was laid down that the place where the Lord Ram’s  idols are situated  would be seen that that piece of land would be transferred to the Hindus. Ravishankar Prasad, one of the lawyers for the litigants said that the question of the birth place of Lord Ram has been settled as it was agreed by the judges that as the Hindus believe that Lord Ram was born at that place, the place where the Ram idols exist should be handed over to the Hindus when the disputed site is divided into three parts. Thus, the title suit of the Sunni Waqf Law Board was rejected by the three judges bench of the Allahabad High Court  as time barred. It was also decided that the status quo has to be maintained for three months.

 

In anticipation of the court verdict, the central and state governments have made maximum security arrangements in order to tide over any untoward incident. Over  2,50,000 security personnel  have  been deployed in Uttar  Pradesh to maintain law and order. In Karnataka, the state government has declared two days holidays for all the educational institutions. All political parties had appealed for calm and accept the court verdict in true spirit.

 

The correct interpretation and analysis of the entire voluminous judgment  will take much more time before a correct picture of the verdict would become much clear. It is apparent that neither of the parties of the disputes is satisfied with the verdict of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad  High Court and they will approach the Supreme Court on appeal. Only time will tell the outcome of  this dispute. An amicable settlement at this juncture would be the most desirable solution for this centuries old dispute.